Director’s Report Agenda Item No. 2 ​ December 13, 2016 Multnomah County Library upholds principles of inclusion Public libraries everywhere are founded on principles of intellectual freedom, equal access, inclusion and democracy. During these times of instability and deeply felt worry, hurt and marginalization among our communities, the library’s role has never been more clear. Multnomah County Library has always been and will remain a safe space that welcomes and serves all people. To underscore the importance of the role of the public library, I recently shared my ​ thoughts on the library blog. I encourage you to read it and to think about how we can ​ each contribute to an inclusive community that welcomes all people, regardless of our differences. One patron recently shared her gratitude with us in a way that beautifully captures the nature and purpose of the public library. “My two-year-old daughter attends storytime ​ nearly every week at our Rockwood Library with a diverse group of families and staff members,” Mindy said. “I value that so much. I also value the great work of the libraries in our communities. Thank you for reaffirming that this is a space that supports those same values and will be a safe place for everyone.” The role of the public library was recently demonstrated in the great work of our School Corps team, who mobilized quickly to respond to educators who needed ways to talk to kids and families about the election and other current events. The team shared booktalks, booklists and databases that offer balanced perspectives on a range of social issues. Another great example is our work to remove youth fines. This simple change helped bring back thousands of kids and teens to the library. Now, our principles of equitable access and inclusion are helping to shape our capital planning and community engagement work for years to come. These are just a few of the ways the library works every day to create safe, inclusive spaces and to share resources that respond to our communities’ needs, points of view and differences. Even in times of uncertainty, I find strength and stability in the principles of inclusion and democracy that hold up our libraries and communities, and in knowing that Multnomah County Library will remain a welcoming, safe place for all. Library Director’s Report to Library Advisory Board 1 of 6 Director’s Report Agenda Item No. 2 ​ December 13, 2016 Library expands Welcome to Reading kits Based on overwhelmingly positive feedback from patrons, Multnomah County Library has expanded its Welcome to Reading Kits collection. In October, library staff added 750 kits, including audiobooks, for a total of 1,250 kits. Welcome to Reading kits live at 14 libraries, and each one contains five fun books and a parent information sheet. The kits explore themes including Comics, Animals and For Real! Facts. Patrons may place the kits on hold through the catalog, and they can be checked out from any library location. All libraries have an updated bookmark with information about kit levels in English and Spanish to help patrons and staff select the right books for their beginning readers. Welcome to Reading kits reinforce the development of reading for pleasure while supporting students and parents in the development of reading skills. "As a reading specialist and mom — Love this!” shared one patron, after using the kits. “I ​ always struggle to help parents find ‘just right’ books for their kids as every publisher has a different leveling system. Thanks!!" Welcome to Reading Kits are made possible by gifts to The Library Foundation. ​ ​ Library Director’s Report to Library Advisory Board 2 of 6 Director’s Report Agenda Item No. 2 ​ December 13, 2016 Multnomah County Library launches Best Books of 2016 Just in time for the gift-giving season, Multnomah County Library has released Best Books ​ of 2016, an interactive website featuring appealing covers, sortable tags and enticing ​ descriptions from staff. Spend some time exploring over 170 titles chosen by library staff, including graphic novels, memoirs, lavishly illustrated picture books and titles focusing on the Pacific Northwest. When you find an intriguing title, you can click through to place the book on hold, or share the title with friends and family through Facebook, Twitter, email or Pinterest. The Best Books of 2016 works on any handheld device or computer. Many thanks to Systems Administrator Andrew Livesay and the Multnomah County IT team for creating the page’s functionality. The Best Books of 2016 will be featured on the library's home page through December. Avid readers who want more recommendations can contact My Librarian for a ​ ​ personalized list anytime. Happy reading! Librarians cross continents to brings comics to kids School Corps Librarian Cathy Camper recently demonstrated the power of connection and librarianship by partnering with Siina Vieri, director of Library Services at Loppi Public Library in Finland, to share resources across the globe. Siina is well known in Finland for her knowledge of comics and manga and has led many comics presentations around the country. When she started as the new director of library services in Loppi, she offered to help Kirjavälitys, one of the biggest distributors in Finland, expand their comics offerings. Siina wanted to include titles that would offer something new and different to young readers, and to include American comics too. So she asked Cathy, and a collaboration was born. Both Cathy and Siina are passionate about comics and graphic novels. The two friends and colleagues have never met in person, but that didn’t stop them from bringing their librarian knowledge together to create a fabulous list of American comics and graphic novels for kids. The resulting list contains 75 comics with depth, diversity and good content for kids age 5 to 16. The list is available to people in Multnomah County, Finland ​ ​ and around the world! Library Director’s Report to Library Advisory Board 3 of 6 Director’s Report Agenda Item No. 2 ​ December 13, 2016 Northwest Library celebrates 15 years Northwest Library opened to the public on October 30, 2001. This year, on October 29 and 30, Northwest Library staff invited the community to help us celebrate our 15th birthday. “It was more birthday than anniversary,” said Northwest Library Manager Kim Anderson. “We still feel very young at heart — just a teen!” To celebrate, library staff created a paper tree where patrons could "leaf" a memory. Patrons shared memories of fun and informative events they have attended at Northwest Library over the years, and generally just shared the “library love” with the Northwest team. The celebrations included a Halloween-themed program for children, historic photo displays, as well as snacks and birthday cake for all. The original Northwest Library manager, David Miles, even made a guest appearance. Staff and patrons alike enjoyed the celebrations and look forward to more birthdays to come! Woodstock renovations improve patron experience Woodstock Library recently completed some much-needed renovations. New carpet was installed, along with new circulation stations, flexible shelving and an interior book drop. “A new carpet can really spruce up a library,” said Woodstock Library Manager Carol Uhte, who noted how the renovations not only improve the look of the space, but also make circulation and browsing easier for patrons. Thank you to Carol, the Woodstock staff and all our patrons for their patience during renovations. Library Director’s Report to Library Advisory Board 4 of 6 Director’s Report Agenda Item No. 2 ​ December 13, 2016 Patron comments “Multnomah County Library walks the talk, living proof that communities and ​ organizations founded in mutual respect, inclusion, and public service are alive and well providing a touchstone for the viable choices we as individuals can make every day in the larger world.” — Maura, November 24 “Thank you for sharing this. My two-year-old daughter attends storytime nearly every week at our Rockwood Library with a diverse group of families and staff members. I value that so much. I also value the great work of the libraries in our communities. Thank you for reaffirming that this is a space that supports those same values and will be a safe place for everyone.” — Mindy, November 23 ”Love, love, love you, MCL. Libraries were a refuge for me as a child and I am so proud of our local libraries!” — Dawn, November 23 “I was looking for employment in the summer of 2016. A brilliant librarian, Patricia ​ [Moran, St. Johns Library], assisted me with my saving of documents to a federal ​ agency employment site. I can now let you all know from the work provided to me I was offered a position here in Portland, Oregon. It really makes me happy to know that a small amount of effort goes a long way. Thank you St. Johns Library for giving me such a talented employee to help me in thoroughly finding the job of my dreams to help the veterans of the United States of America." — Patron, November 21 In the news Janet Irwin of AFSCME Local 88 turns the page on 46-year library career, Northwest Labor ​ ​ Press, Nov. 30 ​ Wordstock 2016: A Literary Day for the Whole Family, Publishers Weekly, Nov. 10 ​ ​ ​ Librarian Matt Stefanik, ORBike, Nov. 10 ​ ​ ​ Multnomah library 'tattoo-for-book' recommendations spread to Colorado, KATU, Nov. 2 ​ Colorado library offers tattoo-based book recommendations, Coloradoan, Nov. 2 ​ ​ ​ Durango Public Library offers reading recommendations based on tattoos, The